NM State Capital ‘Thumbs Its Nose’ at Trump’s Sanctuary City Threats

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NM State Capital ‘Thumbs Its Nose’ at Trump’s Sanctuary City Threats

by Bob Price
4 Jan 2017
Santa Fe, NM

The capital city of New Mexico doubled down on its sanctuary city status despite knowing it is risking losing federal funds. The Santa Fe City Council unanimously approved a resolution reaffirming its policy.

Responding to a threat from President-Elect Donald Trump to defund sanctuary cities, the council moved forward with plans to refuse access to city property by immigration agents and keep the immigration status of any person confidential.

“This is doubling down,” City Council Member Joseph Maestas, the Albuquerque Journal reported. “We’re thumbing our nose at this incoming administration.”

Under existing law, the Department of Justice (DOJ) can already move quickly to not only cut off future law enforcement grants to the city–it can recoup past grants for any period of time the municipality was not 100 percent compliant with federal immigration law, according to U.S. Representative John Culberson (R-TX).

http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2017/01/04/nm-state-capital-thumbs-nose-trumps-sanctuary-city-threats/

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GOP Again Eyes Sanctuary Cities Ban Due to Political Tide

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has pushed the issue to the front of his unofficial agenda for 2017, pledging in interviews and on social media to sign into law a "ban" on cities and local governments that are seen as protecting people in the U.S. illegally, with sanctions such as cutting state funding. Civil rights groups believe such pledges can lead to racial profiling.

Previous pledges by Republican governors and GOP-majority legislatures never have made it into law in Texas. But the political tide has changed, says Sen. Charles Perry, a Lubbock Republican, who has tried to pass a sanctuary cities ban for several years and already filed a bill for the session that starts in January.

"The American people made it clear that solving our illegal immigration crisis must be a priority," Perry said. "That starts by eliminating sanctuary cities, securing our border and enforcing the immigration laws we currently have on the books."

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/US-Sanctuary-Cities-Texas/2016/12/18/id/764543/